Resolution in Support of Workforce Housing in America Exposed

The Resolution in Support of Workforce Housing in America was adopted by ALEC's Commerce, Insurance and Economic Development Task Force at the Annual Meeting in July, 2004, approved by the ALEC Board of Directors in August, 2004. According to ALEC.org, the Resolution was re-approved by the Board of Directors on January 28, 2013. (Accessed June 2, 2016).

CMD's Bill Summary

This Resolution demonstrates ALEC's support for policies that blew up the housing bubble, policies the organization had supported as far back as 1995 (see also the Real Estate and Economic Growth Resolution). It was adopted by ALEC soon before the housing bubble burst, and in the same year many economists began identifying the nature and depth of the housing bubble. Nonetheless, this Resolution blames government regulation for high housing prices rather than excessive speculation.

While it is unknown if any states signed such a Resolution, it reflects the priorities of ALEC and its corporate board members, priorities which would have been communicated to the legislators and elected officials attending ALEC conventions and events.

ALEC Bill Text

WHEREAS, working families are finding it increasingly difficult to purchase or rent a home in or close to the communities where they work; and

WHEREAS, many moderate-income workers are working two or three jobs to meet their monthly housing expenses; and

WHEREAS, the gap between those who can afford a home and those who cannot is widening at an alarming rate, and affordable rental housing is in short supply; and

WHEREAS, families working in central cities have less than a one-in-three chance of finding a home that they can afford; and

WHEREAS, families working in suburban areas have less than a three-in-ten chance of finding a home that they can afford; and

WHEREAS, regulatory barriers by state, and local governments often prevent the construction of a mix of different types of housing in various price ranges; and

WHEREAS, in some areas of the country regulatory delays and excesses have added as much as twenty percent to the cost of building housing;

BE IT RESOLVED that the American Legislative Exchange Council (“ALEC”), in accordance with its principles of limited government, individual liberty, and free markets, supports governmental cooperation in promoting workforce housing in America in an effort to increase housing opportunities for moderate workers in the communities where they work; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that ALEC continues its support of state action to eliminate cumbersome housing and development regulations, and excessive fees and exactions; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that in following with a desire to decrease excessive regulation, ALEC will continue to support the enactment of state “notice and opportunity to repair” legislation that provides builders with the opportunity to resolve differences with home buyers before a lawsuit is filed; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that ALEC supports partnerships involving homebuilders, community groups, and local governments to enhance affordability and to increase production of affordable housing